News - Books

Based on the last eight weeks of sales from over 350 independent bookstores across America. Here is a fantastic cross-section of SF and fantasy fiction, new and classic, for teen readers up to us oldsters. (Dune is still my favorite book of all time.) Look for The Two Towers to make a run at #1 soon. A few nice surprises on this list. Next week: A younger readers' fantasy list. (No, that can't include a wish that summer would never end…)

Here's the complete list of the September/October Book Sense 76 to give you a heads up for planning and ordering. Watch future coverage in BTW for the complete list with booksellers’ quotes. 1. THE LAST GIRLS, by Lee Smith (Algonquin, $24.95, 1565123638; in stores Sept. 17) Also Highbridge Audio (1565117018; CD, 1565117026) 2. MIDDLESEX, by Jeffrey Eugenides (Farrar, $27, 0374199698; Sept. 4) Also Audio Renaissance (1559277807)

Chris Bohjalian, Howard Zinn, Leonard Everett Fisher, and University Press of New England were named as the 2002 winners of the New England Book Awards, announced Rusty Drugan, executive director of the New England Booksellers Association (NEBA). Drugan said that the awards will be presented on Sunday, September 29, at the Breakfast with New England Book Award Winners during the NEBA trade show in Providence, Rhode Island.

By Carl Lennertz Tip of the Week: Just a reminder: Not all 76 picks need to be in your displays! I know some of you feel guilty because you "just" have 15 to 25 of the picks displayed. That's OK! In fact, that's more than OK!! Two Kids' 76 ISBN and, therefore, price mistakes: In the fall Kids' 76 announced last week, two hardcover books had the library binding ISBNs noted instead of the trade editions. Sorry!

Well, this was tough! Over 2,000 books nominated, the most ever. Such a huge, huge, huge September and October new book-wise, not surprisingly. So rich that some great books landing after October 1 need to be held off until the November/December 76.

On Monday, August 5, the Today Show named the Adam Haslett short story collection You Are Not a Stranger Here (Doubleday) as the latest pick of its "Today's Book Club." The title, selected for the club by author Jonathan Franzen, was a July/August Book Sense 76 selection.

We're still checking ISBNs of the latest paperback editions, but we wanted you to see this soonest. The flier will be ready this fall, and we'll publicize this major initiative then. Note: This is also a great resource if your community is thinking of adopting a book for all to read. For a list of what books cities, towns, and states around the country have chosen recently, go to http://news.bookweb.org/read/305 (Let us know of any new ones!)

Booksellers -- Another fun one to do! Thank you for all the great nominations. The 76 fliers will be to you in early September, and maybe late August. AND … this is the 76 that is the basis of the late September NEW YORKER insert. Kudos!!! A sneak preview of the quotes being used will be up at BookWeb.org next week. No matter what quote I end up using, thanks go to ALL who recommended each book! Carl carl@booksense.com

In Honk the Moose -- the classic 1935 tale of Boys Tease Moose, Moose Scares Boys, and Boys Save Moose -- Mary Koski, president of Trellis Publishers and a children's book author, found a long out-of-print book that she believed would appeal to children in the 21st century. A prized spot for Honk the Moose on the Winter 2001/2002 Children's Book Sense 76 resulted in dramatic sales increases, along with second and third printings.

Based on sales from over 300 independent booksellers across American over the last eight weeks. Attention Media: Please contact Kristen Gilligan at kristen@bookweb.org for reprint guidelines for your newspaper or magazine.